A mum is criticizing “inappropriate material” in sex education lessons – which features pictures of real and cartoon naked people. Emma Cormie says her daughter was left “anxious” and “stressed” by the images at primary school.Emma, from Moray, Scotland, says her nine-year-old daughter told her that she and her friend had seen “pictures of a naked man” at school.
She says her daughter was referring to the RSHP (Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood) education programme. It is taught as part of the Health and Wellbeing area of the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland.A slideshow from the “Progression 1,” or second-level of RSHP education contains a basic description of sex and explains that pregnancy can occur as a result, as well as explaining the proper names for body parts.
One slide from RSHP shows an outline of a cartoon penis, explaining the meaning of an erection, while another shows a drawing of a cartoon couple in bed, with a basic description of sexual intercourse provided alongside. Other slides explain the changes that occur during puberty, as well as providing a simple explanation of how pregnancy occurs.
The slide show also includes a photograph of a real-life naked man and woman. Mrs Cormie says she was not given prior warning by the school, the identity of which she does not wish to disclose, that her daughter was about to undergo this part of the curriculum.Mrs Cormie said: “I absolutely would have wanted a personal email to inform me that this was starting.
“That way I could have supported my daughter through it. I asked other parents if they knew this was starting and I found out it was put on the school blog but there was no explicit notice given.But then I got sent the official teaching materials from the RSHP.
“I was just utterly shocked at what I was seeing. It was far beyond any kind of expectation that I had for this subject for this age of children.My whole concern is that my daughter showed extreme anxiety after getting this programme in school.She did not want to attend school the next day.”
Sex education in Scotland is covered by the RSHP curriculum which, according to the Scottish Government, provides a “comprehensive set of learning activities” for use in early learning settings such as nurseries as well as primary and secondary schools. It covers physical changes, sexual health and sexuality, the role of the parent/carer and positive relationships.
But Mrs Cormie believes some of the material is not “age-appropriate”. A post she made on Facebook , in which she included some of the material intended for P7 pupils, saw hundreds of commenters agree with her.She said: “Does Anyone here put their 9- 11 year olds to school to learn how to have sex?
”I have major major safety concerns with this content which is part of the curriculum for p5s to p7. My daughter and her friends have felt wholly uncomfortable which which proves to me it’s absolutely not age appropriate.They haven’t seen the slides pictured yet and my daughter won’t. Are you happy for your child to be exposed to this? They are 5 years younger than the age of consent. happy to take PMs from anyone else who shares my concerns.
”I’m awaiting response from the school I want to know who has authorised this content, and on what basis. Is there any evidence that is beneficial for children of this age? Learning about body functions and changes is necessary, learning how to have sex at 11 years old is absolutely not in my opinion.The sexualisation of our children is a sickness that needs to stop. It’s diseased tentacles running through our institutions, popular culture and of course social media.
”Parents need to check through all this content to see what you feel is age appropriate for your child. Our kids get one childhood, innocent childhood a thing of the past. Enough is enough.”
The post has attracted nearly 200 comments – with many claiming to be parents who disagree with the level of sex education being provided. Mrs Cormie says she is not against RSHP but has called for more input from parents and for the current curriculum to be reassessed.She said: “My whole issue is with the policy-making because I need to know what research has been done to determine this to be age-appropriate.
“Obviously I’ve been told that it’s normal for children to be embarrassed and so on but at what point is it harmful to a very young child. Parents know their children best and teachers are under enough stress as it is so there needs to be more liaising with parents.There is absolutely a need to cover these topics that are essential for our children to know about but that is very very different from some of this material.
“Let our children be children. They have one childhood.”
Moray Council says teachers in the region have some flexibility in what they teach but added that they are still expected to abide by national guidance. The local authority also says that explicit warning to parents is given depending on the nature of the content being taught.
A council spokesperson said: “The level and form of communication may vary, but schools do make efforts to inform parents when sensitive topics are being introduced, ensuring they are aware and can engage in the process.”
They added: “Schools encourage parents/carers to raise any concerns they may have, ensuring that their requests are addressed in a way that aligns with both the family’s needs and the school’s educational responsibilities.”